Reply to When we were growing up did we just not realize kids had allergies?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]On the "too clean" environment theory -

A study was recently published comparing people who grew up on farms versus those who grew up in urban areas.  Allergy incidence among farmers was way lower - the theory is that they are exposed to far more bacteria from earliest age and their bodies learn to fight back with appropriate strength - and those with allergies have bodies "overreacting" to the substance.

And I recently heard on NPR about another study of what parents do with the baby's pacifier when it falls out.  Those who stick it in their own mouths to clean it off (yes, ew) have children with far fewer allergies.  Same theory of exposure to bacteria.

I've always wondered how back when a huge portion of the population lived on or near farms, people like me survived the allergies!  I think this theory helps explain somewhat.  They really didn't suffer from so many allergies then.[/quote]

I think this is the answer. And I think we'll see more research as people begin to realize it. When we lived in a more rural part of the country where kids spent the vast majority of their days outside either playing or working I don't recall a single child in any of my kids' classes with a severe allergy. Not one. In their classrooms in D.C. there was always at least one, often two or three, kids with allergies. Class size was about the same. To further prove the point, their school in the more rural area did not have a "allergy table" and peanut butter sandwiches were often on the menu.[/quote]

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